GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism

HEAL 110—Personal Health (3)

Fall 2009

DAY/TIME:

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T R 3:00pm – 4:15pm

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LOCATION:

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Enterprise Hall Room 173

INSTRUCTOR: /

Elizabeth Hanfman, MA

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EMAIL ADDRESS:

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OFFICE LOCATION:

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4260 Chain Bridge Road; Suite A6

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PHONE NUMBER:

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703-993-3697

OFFICE HOURS:

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Most Days- Call for Appt

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FAX NUMBER:

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703-246-8997

PREREQUISITES

None

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Examines personal lifestyle choices and translates theories into practice. Assesses aspects of health that could inevitably change the student’s perspective regarding wellness, disease prevention, reproductive health and fitness.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the completion of this course students should be able to:

1.  Identify and describe the components of health and how they relate to total wellness.

2.  Create a complete and personal plan to change or develop a health behavior.

3.  Participate in health/fitness related activities on campus and in the community.

4.  Discuss factors that affect longevity and health.

COURSE OVERVIEW

The focus of this course is health for the 21st century. Students will discern the various components of health and wellness to include physical, psychological, spiritual, social, and intellectual health. Management of stress, communication and relationships, and personal sexuality will be introduced as key parts of the wellness picture. Also included in this course will be an overview of reproductive choices, alternative medicine and the health-care system, and information on the prevention of diseases. To complete the study, the use and misuse of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco will be covered. This course serves as a general overview and will prepare the student to make educated choices about personal health and provide a basic knowledge of health issues for use in more advanced study in the future.

REQUIRED READINGS

Hales, D. (2009). An Invitation to Health (2009-2010 ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

EVALUTION

EVALUTIONE

Evaluation

Reaction Paper 1 / 25
Reaction Paper 2 / 25
Health Change Plan Paper / 50
Health Change Plan Presentation / 15
Exam 1 / 30
Exam 2 / 30
Final Exam / 40
Participation / 35
Total / 250

Grading Scale

235-250= A 225-234=A- 217-224=B+ 210-216=B

199-209=B- 192-198=C+ 185-191=C 174-184=C-

161-173=D 161=F

Exams (2 @ 30 Points Each & 1 Final Exam @ 40 Points)

The course will consist of two exams and one final exam based on chapter readings and class lectures. Each exam will include a variation of multiple choice and short answer questions. The first exam will cover chapters 1 through 6 (Oct. 15), the second will cover chapters 7-12 (Nov. 10), and the final exam will cover chapters 13 through 20 (Dec. 15). The final exam will also include a take home essay portion.

Reaction Papers (2 @ 25 Points Each)

For each reaction paper you will pick a current event article pertaining to any health topic and write a 2-3 page, double-spaced reaction paper. You can find articles from news websites such as msn.com or cnn.com or you can get your articles from newspapers or magazines. Reaction paper 1 is due in class on October 1st and reaction paper 2 is due in class on November 19th.


Health Change Plan Paper (50 Points)

Write an 8-10 page health change plan paper that highlights the important subject material in the course. Relate what you have learned in the class to your own life in terms of what you might want to change, are in the process of changing, or have changed in the past in order to become a healthier person. You are free to use charts, lists and diagrams. Be creative! The paper is due in class on December 8th.

Health Change Plan Presentation (15 Points)

At the last two class meetings (Dec. 8th and 11th ) each student will be required to present their health change plan to the class. The use of PowerPoint, posters, or other visuals is encouraged but not required. Your presentation should last no longer than 5 minutes.

Participation (35 Points)

Attendance and participation are important to learning the course material and achieving the course objectives. Attendance will be recorded at each class and will be taken into account for midterm and final grades. Students will be given a participation grade based on participation in class discussion and attentive listening.

DATE / TOPIC / READING ASSIGNMENT / ASSIGNMENT DUE
September / 1 / Introduction & Overview
September / 3 / Your Invitation to Healthy Change / Chapter 1
September / 8 / Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being / Chapter 2
September / 10 / Personal Stress Management / Chapter 3
September / 15 / Personal Stress Management cont.
September / 17 / Your Mental Health / Chapter 4
September / 22 / The Joy of Fitness / Chapter 5
September / 24 / The Joy of Fitness cont.
September / 29 / In Class Movie
October / 1 / In Class Movie / Reaction Paper #1 Due
October / 3 / Personal Nutrition / Chapter 6
October / 8 / Personal Nutrition cont.
October / 13 / NO CLASS
October / 15 / EXAM 1 / Covers Chapters 1-6
October / 20 / Taking Control of Your Weight / Chapter 7
October / 22 / Communicating and Relating / Chapter 8
October / 27 / Guest Speaker
October / 29 / Personal Sexuality and Reproductive Choices / Chapter 9 and 10
November / 3 / Avoiding Addictive Behaviors and Drug Abuse / Chapter 11
November / 5 / Alcohol Use, Misuse, and Abuse / Chapter 12
November / 10 / EXAM 2 / Covers Chapters 7-12
November / 12 / Tobacco Use, Misuse, and Abuse / Chapter 13
November / 17 / Preventing Major Diseases / Chapter 14
November / 19 / Avoiding Infectious Diseases and Lowering Your Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections / Chapter 15 and 16 / Reaction Paper #2 Due
November / 24 / Getting Quality Traditional and Nontraditional Health Care / Chapter 17
November / 26 / Thanksgiving Break:
NO CLASS
December / 1 / Protecting Yourself from Injury, Violence, and Victimization / Chapter 18
December / 3 / Working Toward a Healthy Environment and A Lifetime of Health / Chapter 19 and Chapter 20
December / 8 / Health Change Presentations / Health Change Paper Due
December / 11 / Health Change Presentations
December / 15 / FINAL EXAM / Exam covers chapters 13-20

*Readings should be completed by the date listed on the schedule above

Note: This is a tentative course schedule. Faculty reserves the right to alter the schedule as necessary.

Late work/make-up exam policy:

Papers should be turned in by the end of class on the due date. Late assignments will receive a 5 point reduction for each class meeting late.

In order to schedule a make-up exam, you must see me in advance for permission to take it at a different time.

/ v  All students are held to the standards of the George Mason University Honor Code [See http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/#Anchor12]
v  University policy states that all sound emitting devices shall be turned off during class unless otherwise authorized by the professor
v  Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) and inform the instructor , in writing, at the beginning of the semester [See www.gmu.edu/student/drc]
v  For additional School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism information, please visit the website at http://rht.gmu.edu